Communications: electrical – Land vehicle alarms or indicators – Of burglary or unauthorized use
Patent
1989-05-15
1990-09-18
Orsino, Joseph A.
Communications: electrical
Land vehicle alarms or indicators
Of burglary or unauthorized use
340568, 307 102, B60R 2510
Patent
active
049581422
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to vehicle theft deterrents and more particularly to an addition or adjunct to an existing vehicle anti-theft alarm system.
BACKGROUND ART
Motor vehicle theft is an ever-growing problem today and one which results not only in considerable cost and dismay to a stolen vehicle's owner but, in the long term, one which results in higher costs to all holders of vehicle insurance policies and, indeed, to all policy holders in general.
Various devices and systems using discomfort-causing substances have been proposed, one such being disclosed, for example, in the specification relating to PCT Application No. PCT/FR85/00244 of Sept. 10, 1985. In this document, a device using an existing windscreen washer element or elements of a motor vehicle to generate sprays of showers of "chemical liquids such as ammonia, sulphuric acid, and hydrochloric acid, and dyes ----" is installed in a vehicle, apparently with the aim of "-- marking, hurting, asphyxiating --" a would-be thief.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
However, as it is unlawful to injure seriously even a potential car thief -- as with corrosive acids -- it is an object of the present invention to overcome the above and other disadvantages by the provision of a motor vehicle theft deterrent device which may comprise a timer capable of being operated by an existing vehicle alarm; a relay actuable in response to the timer; and valve means operable, via the said relay, to release a spray of a pressurised, irritant and/or discomfort-causing substance towards a person unlawfully attempting to start the vehicle or to steal items therefrom.
The valve means may well be a plunger valve adapted to release the substance from a pressurised container such as a cylinder. The substance itself may be a gas or liquid capable of irritating the respiratory system, or the eyes, or both; the substance, however, must be non-toxic and non-corrosive. There again, the substance may be, or include, an indelible dyestuff.
Advantageously, the circuitry and the pressurised container or containers are accommodated in a tamper-proof metal housing mounted, say, upon the firewall of the vehicle.
Ideally, the pressurised substance is discharged through one or more concealed nozzles positioned so as to direct the spray or sprays towards the said unlawfully-acting person.
The timer may well be a two-stage circuit timer adapted to activate a secondary circuit to thereby cause a loudspeaker to emit a high-pitched sound painful to the human ear.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
In order that the reader may gain a better understanding of the present invention, hereinafter will be described a preferred embodiment thereof, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a simplistic block diagram which shows the interrelationship of the various features of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram;
FIG. 3 shows, somewhat schematically, a typical layout of the housing;, and
FIG. 4 is a corresponding top view.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Firstly having regard to FIG. 1, the box referenced 1 represents an existing alarm system of a motor vehicle to which the inventive device is fitted; this alarm system is wired to operate a timer represented by box 2. At the termination of a pre-set time period, existing alarm system 1 having detected the unlawful presence of a person in the motor vehicle, a solenoid operated relay represented by box 3 -- aptly termed the "firing box" -- opens a plunger valve of pressurized container so as to enable the contained substance to be released therefrom and discharged under pressure through concealed nozzle means referenced at 4.
Power to operate the relay is provided by the active bar of the vehicle's own fuse panel so that, even with the existing alarm device disabled, the inventive system will complete its operating cycle and release the deterrent substance. The so-discharged substance -- as a so-called "atomised" spray -- rapidly fills the interior of the vehicle to thereby cause
REFERENCES:
patent: 4068780 (1978-01-01), Fegley
patent: 4222032 (1980-09-01), Speer
patent: 4679026 (1987-07-01), Knakowski et al.
patent: 4698620 (1987-10-01), Marshall
patent: 4758817 (1988-07-01), Akiyama
patent: 4837835 (1989-06-01), Murayama
patent: 4841752 (1989-06-01), Fletcher
Kearns Jerry T.
Orsino Joseph A.
Tumm Brian R.
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